An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. General: A piece of information (written, spoken, or by signals).
   

2. Computer science: A defined amount of information, coded or not, between machines or machines and men. → information theory.

Etymology (EN): M.E., from O.Fr. message “message, news, embassy,” from M.L. missaticum, from L. missus “a sending away, dispatching,” from mittere “to send,” → mission.

Etymology (PE): Payâm, variants payqâm, peyqâm, Mid.Pers. paygâm, ultimately from *patigam-, literally “arriving, newcomer,” from *pati- “to, toward, at, in,” → ad hoc, + *gam- “to come,” → heliosheath.